profiles of indian players

hi i am naveen tyagi gathering the profile of players from the derfrent sits

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Rewriting cricket history


Rewriting cricket history
History was scripted in Secunderabad last evening when two thirteen-year-olds, Manoj Kumar and Mohammad Shahbaz Tumbi, rewrote the record books for posting the highest ever partnership in cricket - a record previously held by Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli.
"I never knew I was breaking a world record. I was just playing for myself and my school. I only realised when I returned to the pavilion that I'd broken a record by scoring a triple century," said Mohammad Shahbaz. "When we were on the 600-run mark, our coach informed us that there were 38 runs left for the world record and instructed us to play well and not get out. We were under pressure and that's why we played slowly," said a relaxed Manoj Kumar. Manoj and Shabaz slammed triple hundreds amassing a mammoth 721 runs to surpass the 1988 record of 664 runs posted by Tendulkar and Kambli. And importantly, the record was set in just 40 overs. Manoj hit an unbeaten 320 off 127 balls, while Tumbi pummelled 324 off 116 balls during their opening partnership, which also featured 103 boundaries. Interestingly, the record was achieved without a single six being hit. Talking about the game, the youngsters, playing for St Peter's High school, won the match for their school beating St Philip's High School by 700 runs, chalking up the highest margin of victory ever and yet another record in limited overs cricket. Manoj and Shabaz's victory no doubt will be a hard feat to match but for a country besotted by the game one cannot but hope that these two champions will walk in the footsteps of their predecessors - Sachin and Vinod - and rewrite history many times over.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

What ails Indian cricket?

What ails Indian cricket?
Often defeat magnifies everything. Symptoms are looked for and spotted everywhere. But, the intricate linkages in cricket make identification of causality very difficult, writes S. Ram Mahesh.
A little over a year back, India's chances of winning an ODI series of note were compared by those inclined to the caustic cliche to the odds snowballs draw for surviving afternoons in Hell. Neither in the then distant 2007 World Cup nor in the seven-match series against Sri Lanka was India supposed to do well. Cue 13 months: things seemingly haven't changed. For, in the last six months, India has lost four of five games in West Indies, two of three in Malaysia, and two of three at home in the Champions Trophy. Had things been as cut and dried, had this phase extended 13 months instead of six, we could have cussed Greg Chappell, dissed Rahul Dravid, and revelled in what those with a little knowledge and a conviction, so strong it has to be baseless, do — smugly believe ourselves. Not that this isn't already being done in some quarters.
But, alas, it never is that simple. When Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri wondered in his column whether this was the same limited-overs side that had warmed his heart earlier this year, he verbalised a discourse that has baffled many. This after all is the same team that had acquitted itself so spectacularly well in stern tests: a 6-1 shellacking of Sri Lanka — a side that had Jayasuriya, Sangakkara, Jayawardene (when he wasn't nipping out to get married), Atapattu, Vaas, and Muralitharan; a 2-2 draw against South Africa, always worthy; a 4-1 trouncing of Pakistan in Pakistan, where India has traditionally frozen when it hasn't destructed. While one-day wins over England, roughly the equivalent of mugging a sloshed Pom, rarely earn street cred, factor in the scarring Test loss in Mumbai that preceded it, and the 6-1 scoreline doesn't seem like anything to be sniffed at.
So what's happened? Why has a side that had shown off sparkling tactical ingenuity and Class-A nerves begun to falter? "Strategy was their strongest facet," says former national selector V. B. Chandrasekhar, part of the team management till recently. "They surprised other sides by being flexible and doing things differently. They knew exactly what they were doing. And that's where they are struggling now. They have made some glaring mistakes recently with the composition of the side, persisting with Pathan at three, not playing Kaif, carrying Sehwag. These are areas that need revisiting."
Chandrasekhar says a lack of awareness before the series in the Caribbean could have triggered inflection. "The side probably didn't take notice of the West Indies side transforming as a one-day team," he says. "They were close matches — we were on a roll, so logically we should have won them. But, we didn't."
Chandrasekhar goes on to make an interesting point — the focus on winning a Test series abroad, he says, detracted from the performance in the shorter form. "There was a lot of criticism after the Test loss against England. People complained we were only looking at the World Cup, that our focus was on the one-day game. That played a part."
COVER STORYWhat ails Indian cricket?
Often defeat magnifies everything. Symptoms are looked for and spotted everywhere. But, the intricate linkages in cricket make identification of causality very difficult, writes S. Ram Mahesh.
A little over a year back, India's chances of winning an ODI series of note were compared by those inclined to the caustic cliche to the odds snowballs draw for surviving afternoons in Hell. Neither in the then distant 2007 World Cup nor in the seven-match series against Sri Lanka was India supposed to do well. Cue 13 months: things seemingly haven't changed. For, in the last six months, India has lost four of five games in West Indies, two of three in Malaysia, and two of three at home in the Champions Trophy. Had things been as cut and dried, had this phase extended 13 months instead of six, we could have cussed Greg Chappell, dissed Rahul Dravid, and revelled in what those with a little knowledge and a conviction, so strong it has to be baseless, do — smugly believe ourselves. Not that this isn't already being done in some quarters.
But, alas, it never is that simple. When Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri wondered in his column whether this was the same limited-overs side that had warmed his heart earlier this year, he verbalised a discourse that has baffled many. This after all is the same team that had acquitted itself so spectacularly well in stern tests: a 6-1 shellacking of Sri Lanka — a side that had Jayasuriya, Sangakkara, Jayawardene (when he wasn't nipping out to get married), Atapattu, Vaas, and Muralitharan; a 2-2 draw against South Africa, always worthy; a 4-1 trouncing of Pakistan in Pakistan, where India has traditionally frozen when it hasn't destructed. While one-day wins over England, roughly the equivalent of mugging a sloshed Pom, rarely earn street cred, factor in the scarring Test loss in Mumbai that preceded it, and the 6-1 scoreline doesn't seem like anything to be sniffed at.
So what's happened? Why has a side that had shown off sparkling tactical ingenuity and Class-A nerves begun to falter? "Strategy was their strongest facet," says former national selector V. B. Chandrasekhar, part of the team management till recently. "They surprised other sides by being flexible and doing things differently. They knew exactly what they were doing. And that's where they are struggling now. They have made some glaring mistakes recently with the composition of the side, persisting with Pathan at three, not playing Kaif, carrying Sehwag. These are areas that need revisiting."

Chandrasekhar says a lack of awareness before the series in the Caribbean could have triggered inflection. "The side probably didn't take notice of the West Indies side transforming as a one-day team," he says. "They were close matches — we were on a roll, so logically we should have won them. But, we didn't."
Chandrasekhar goes on to make an interesting point — the focus on winning a Test series abroad, he says, detracted from the performance in the shorter form. "There was a lot of criticism after the Test loss against England. People complained we were only looking at the World Cup, that our focus was on the one-day game. That played a part."
Perhaps most worryingly Chandrasekhar lets on that there is "a lack of flow of information" within the team. This is alarming, for, when Dravid and Chappell said that their strategy was based on cricketing logic and discussions others weren't privy to and hence couldn't fully comprehend they had a point. Most trenchant critics either have a surprisingly poor grasp of cricket or an axe to grind; some beyond redemption have both.
Consequently a lot of criticism is built on shaky, dubious foundations. But, if an insider, who has often sprung to his side's defence, questions the flow of information — the most crucial ingredient in preparation — something must be amiss.
Often defeat magnifies everything. Symptoms are looked for and spotted everywhere. But, the intricate linkages in cricket make identification of causality very difficult. Statistics will show that India since the West Indies tour has averaged fewer runs per wicket and scored at a slower rate per over when batting, and has been more expensive per wicket when bowling than when it was busy stacking up a record 17 consecutive successful chases.
The numbers will show that Dravid, Yuvraj, Dhoni, and Pathan — agents of change — have dropped off their high levels, that Sehwag's last ODI hundred was in April 2005. But, they don't illustrate entirely how Bravo conned Yuvraj — a run short of making it 18 chases — with one squeezed out slower, thus starting the decline, or how Sehwag's troubles with the incoming ball has been exacerbated by shooters that have crept along the turf, or how Harbhajan was a moment of prudence away from burying Australia in Malaysia when he let Haddin off.
It's just as difficult to monitor changes in levels of skill. During the glory days, Yuvraj, Pathan, Dhoni, and Raina improved their skills noticeably. Pathan has since had problems with the rhythm of his run-up and hence his delivery stride — both of which seemed to pick up against England in the Champions Trophy. For the others it's been a case of swift punishment for an early mistake, a common enough occurrence during the start of most innings. This in turn has set up a cycle of dwindling confidence and insecure selection of stroke, each feeding off the other.
Ajit Agarkar's metamorphosis in the Caribbean and Harbhajan's turn to parsimony notwithstanding, India's bowling — while out-performing the batting — has lacked a strong, wise leader. The inclusion of Anil Kumble is as much for his leg-spin — an option of attack allied with Harbhajan's off-spin during the middle overs — as it is for his considerable bowling brain. Munaf Patel has come along magnificently in terms of control; but as he showed against Australia, he still is a few dozen matches short of being the finished ODI product. R. P. Singh, who sent Chappell and Ian Frazer into raptures of delight during one net session by befuddling Dravid no less without perceptible change in wrist action, went for 29 in the four overs he bowled in the Champions Trophy. He shouldn't be allowed to slip through the system. Sreesanth is always worth a punt. He, like Munaf, raises his game against the best batsmen.
The re-introduction of Zaheer Khan should give the fast-medium department just the shot of experience it needs. But, only if he is able to convince those that matter about his commitment and work ethic. Former medium-pacer Venkatesh Prasad, who by many accounts is doing a fine job coaching, believes a dedicated bowling coach can help significantly. "Greg Chappell is head coach, but he can't be everywhere," says Prasad. "Every department is specialised. That's where a bowling coach comes in. We've had foreign coaches for six years now — this is the right time to get an Indian involved so he can work with Chappell and carry it forward."
The standards of fielding raise serious concern. Despite a lot of targeted work from the coaching staff — getting the players to twitch their hips to generate power on throws for instance — the ground fielding has shown a tendency to break down under duress since the series in the Caribbean.
The injury to Yuvraj, the failing form of Raina, and the mismanagement of Kaif have weakened a top-notch offside dragnet. Tendulkar's throws from the deep are suspect; Dravid's catching at slip schizophrenic, and the mobility of others, save Sreesanth and Agarkar, plain gauche. Nowhere has the decline been more evident than in the thinking. Dravid's captaincy in recent times has fallen short of the admirable creativity and assurance he brought to the job earlier in the year.
Perhaps it's splitting hairs, for he is only as good as his team — astute moves can be made to look foolish by poor execution. But to say nothing is cast in stone, and then proceed to bat Pathan at three in four of the last five matches he has played, when Dhoni — who averages 64.25 at three — has batted at that spot just once in the last 11 games is a bit rich.
Dravid, however, has a resilience of mind few cricketers approach. He will need all of it, for, as Chandrsekhar says, "imagine a scenario where we lose badly in South Africa. It will be very tough to pick ourselves up from there. There will be lots of calls for heads (to roll)."

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Ashish Nehra



Ashish Nehra

Born: 29 April 1979, Delhi
Major Teams: Delhi, India.
Known As: Ashish Nehra
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Left Arm Medium Fast
Profile:
Ashish Nehra's selection for the Asian Test Championship match against Sri Lanka at Colombo in February 1999 came as a surprise for he was then in the midst of his second first class season and had done little to suggest he was ready for the highest level. With Javagal Srinath resting a sore shin, Nehra was named to the squad and he sneaked ahead of Laxmi Ratan Shukla into the playing eleven. Still two months short of his twentieth birthday, the leftarmer trapped Marvan Atapattu leg before in his third over for his only success.
Nehra has been in sensational form in the 2000-01 first class season, grabbing 36 wickets at 12.83 in five games for Delhi in the zonal league. In the Duleep Trophy, he played a generous hand in North Zone's title triumph with 14 wickets at less than 20 apiece, including figures of 7/14 against East Zone at Guwahati. Having been named in the 25 probables for the Test series against Australia, Nehra is clearly bracing to slip back imminently into the national team.
Test Debut: India v Sri Lanka at Colombo, Asia-Test, 1998/99 ODI Debut: India v Zimbabwe at Harare, Coca-Cola Cup (Zimbabwe), 2001

Monday, November 06, 2006

Munaf Munsa Patel


Munaf Munsa Patel
Born: 12th July 1983, Ikhar, Gujarat,
India Team : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm
Fast Test Debut: India Vs England, 2nd Test at PCA Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh, 2005/06
ODI Debut: Yet to make Debut
Few mediumpacers had generated as much hype before bowling a ball in first-class, let alone international cricket as Munaf Musa Patel, the young boy from the little town of Ikhar in Bahruch, Gujarat did in early 2003. Kiran More, now chairman of selectors, had seen him bowl in the nets and sent him straight to the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai to train under TA Sekhar and Dennis Lillee. Soon he was being hailed as the fastest man in Indian cricket. Then, even as Baroda and Gujarat vied for his services, Patel chose Mumbai, after Sachin Tendulkar had taken special interest in him and had a word with the authorities in the Mumbai Cricket Association. Even then Patel's first-class career was anything but smooth as he spent more time recovering from various injuries than actually playing.
Strongly built though not overly tall, a wild mane flowing behind him as he bustles up to the bowling crease, gathering momentum before releasing the ball with a windmill-whirl of hands, Patel's priority is to bowl quick. And it was this that first caught the eye about three years ago. Now he has added reverse swing to his repertoire and has troubled batsmen with a well-directed yorker. After plenty of speculation and close calls he finally received a call from the national selection panel for the second Test against England in March 2006, after an impressive performance for the Board President's XI saw him pick up 10 English wickets for 91 runs.
A young man, of about 20 was called to Bangalore by John Wright from the MRF Pace Academy in Chennai, where he was training under Dennis Lillee. Yes, he was Munaf Patel, India's new pace bowling sensation. He was specially parachuted in by the Indian management, because of frequent hype about his ability to bowl quick and swing the ball late. He teamed up with other pacers like Sreesanth of Kerala, Saurav Sorkar of Bengal and Amit Uniyal of Punjab as the regular net bowlers to the members of the Indian conditioning camp at Bangalore. There is where, he became a revelation to the Indian team and of course, the Indian Media.
He, of course made his first class debut for India A against the Kiwis at Rajkot and looked more than impressive for a person sans prior match experience. Picking up a player of Nathan Astle's caliber twice in a match is any bowler's dream start to his first class career. Then came the biggest moment of his career thus far. A transfer conducted from his ex-home team Gujarat to Mumbai, which was by the recommendation of none other than Sachin Tendulkar himself. Thus, this young lad from Baruch became now the man for Mumbai. I can recall of one such switch of sides, that has produced one of the lethal weapons of international cricket - Adam Gilchrist. The story goes like this...Gilly found it really difficult to break it into the New South Wales first XI because of rigorous competition. So, sanity prevailed and he chose the WACA as his new home. He went on to play for Western Australia for 2 seasons, before he got a call up for the Aussies and how, his stature in World Cricket cannot be with a shadow of doubt questioned by anyone. Similarly, with Munaf, he has made the right move although it seemed controversial. I feel, his only chance of advancing to the top is playing with a quality side like Mumbai, which by itself gives a competitive atmosphere.

Gautam Gambhir



Gautam Gambhir
Born: 14 October 1981, Delhi
Major Teams: Delhi, India.
Known As: Gautam Gambhir
ODI Debut: India v Bangladesh at Dhaka, TVS Cup, 2003 As a 17-year-old stripling in 2000,
Gautam Gambhir's attacking strokeplay at the top of the order for Delhi set tongues wagging in India ­ not least in the ranks of the opposition. Fast-bowler bullies have paid the price for mistaking Gambhir's slight build and shy demeanour for signs of meekness. His compact footwork, high bat-speed and a brashly youthful approach befuddled bowlers more than once as cautious defence was replaced by the aerial route over point. His success took him close to the Indian side when Zimbabwe toured early in 2002. He had pasted successive double-centuries ­ one for Delhi and another for the Board Presidents’ XI against the tourists ­ and seemed to be a shoo-in as Shiv Sunder Das’s opening partner. But the selectors persisted instead with the band-aid solution of Deep Dasgupta. Gutted but determined, Gambhir soldiered on, pressing his case with particular urgency in the West Indies with the Indian A side early in 2003. And when several senior players asked to be rested after the World Cup, Gambhir was summoned from the wings into the national squad for the TVS Cup in Dhaka.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Dinesh Mongia

Dinesh Mongia
Born: 17 April 1977, Chandigarh
Major Teams: Punjab, India.
Known As: Dinesh Mongia
Batting Style: Left Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Slow Left Arm Orthodox
ODI Debut: India v Australia at Pune, 2nd ODI, 2000/01
Profile:
A left hander with a penchant for tall scores, Dinesh Mongia made his Ranji Trophy debut in 1995-96. He had a rather sedate entry, getting to play just a single game against Baroda in which he scored 21. But the following season witnessed Mongia blossom and stake a claim for a permanent place in the Punjab squad with 521 runs in the Ranji Trophy inclusive of 115 against Himachal Pradesh and an unbeaten 207 against Services. After a disappointing 1997-98 season, Mongia again roared back to form, aggregating 667 runs at an average of 47.50 the next season, thanks to two centuries. By this time, he was a member of the North Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy. He maintained his reputation in the 1999-2000 season, scoring 758 runs in the ten matches that he played in the national competition.
Mongia's growing stature as a free stroking batsman gained further momentum during the 2000-2001 season. The elegant southpaw stamped his class by hitting the Jammu & Kashmir bowlers for 308, while sharing a 330-run stand for the fourth wicket with Pankaj Dharmani. This, the highest score by a Punjab batsman in the Ranji Trophy, was the start of a dream run. In the Duleep Trophy that followed, he amply demonstrated that he had arrived on the national scene. First he hit a stroke filled 201 against a strong South Zone attack which included five bowlers who had played for the country. A couple of matches later, Mongia battered the Central Zone attack for a thrilling 208. Such consistency could not escape the selectors' eye and a place among the 25 probables for the series against Australia is just reward for a batsman who is fired up by a challenge

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Anil Kumble


Anil Kumble
Born: 17 October 1970, Bangalore
Major Teams: Karnataka, Northamptonshire, India, Leicestershire.
Known As: Anil Kumble
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Leg Break Googly
Profile:
India's main strike bowler of the 90s, Anil Kumble has taken upon the role of both stock bowler and shock bowler for many years now. Like his illustrious predecessor BS Chandrasekhar, he has frequently proved to be a match winner, especially on Indian wickets. On a turning track, Kumble can be pretty unplayable as he mixes his bag of tricks to bamboozle the batsman. Kumble has never been a big spinner of the ball but his accuracy and his enormous variety make him a difficult bowler to handle. Kumble came into the side as a relatively unknown 19-year-old on the tour of England in 1990, was promptly forgotten for a couple of years and was back in the team on the basis of an outstanding Irani Trophy performance in 1992-93. Subsequently on the tour of South Africa he really came of age, a major turning point being his bag of six for 53 in the second Test at Johennesburg.
Anil Kumble getting 500 wickets Mohali, March 11 A wave of jubilation swept through the Indian camp when Anil Kumble trapped England tailender Steve Harmison lbw to join the select band of bowlers to claim 500 Test wickets. As umpire Simon Taufel upheld the lbw appeal, the 35-year-old Kumble jumped in the air and pumped his fists in celebration. Though denied a hat-trick, Kumble went on to claim the last wicket of Monty Panesar to complete another five-wicket haul.
The other bowlers to have already achieved the 500-wicket feat are Shane Warne (Australia - 659), Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka- 600), Glenn McGrath (Australia- 542) and Courtney Walsh (West Indies- 519).
The Indian leg-spinner, scourge of batsman the world over and the architect of so many Indian victories at home and abroad, emerged the second fastest to complete the 500-wicket mark in terms of number of Tests played.
The current Test at the PCA Stadium is the wily spinner’s 105th match.
Warne, the leading wicket-taker in Test history, is way ahead of other bowler with 659 scalps in his kitty. Muralitharan joined Warne as only the second bowler in the history of the game to cross the 600-wicket mark during the Bogra Test against minnows Bangladesh.
In quest of the rare honour, Kumble started the proceedings today with pacer Munaf Patel. Though he came close to taking a wicket on a couple of occasions, the Karnataka leggie went wicketless in th pre-lunch session. But he triggered a batting collapse immediately after the lunch break. Operating with the new ball with Munaf, Kumble castled Jones to reach the figure of 499. Then he got rid of Harmison and Panesar to take his tally to 501. Kumble’s second spell read 1.4-0-2-3.
For someone who made his Test debut in 1990 at Old Trafford, it has been a peerless saga of success achieved through sheer determination and hard work. During the 16 years that he has been on the international stage for the country, Kumble has numerous occasions to cherish, the foremost among these being the 10-wicket haul against arch-rivals Pakistan at Ferozeshah Kotla. Though he has lost berth in the one-day squad, Kumble is a vital component in the Test squad. Kapil Dev with 434 wickets is the second highest wicket-taker for India in Tests.
An ecstatic Kumble later said it was his self belief, perseverance and support by team-mates which kept him going. “There were doubts created by various people but I never doubted my abilities,” he said.
“It is a great feeling to be able to reach the milestone as the first Indian and only the fifth bowler in the history of the game. I owe it to all the cricketers I have played with,” he observed.
From that moment on he has never looked back and has been India's only real world class spin bowler. Bowlers who have partnered him in the spin attack during the decade have long since departed from the scene but Kumble has carried on, picking up his usual quota of wickets both in Tests and one day internationals. And at times he has come up with the unusual feats too, like his six for 12 in the Hero Cup final against West Indies in 1993-94 and his perfect ten for 74 against Pakistan at New Delhi in 1998-99. The latter feat made him only the second bowler in Test cricket, after Jim Laker for England against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956, to capture all ten wickets in a Test innings. A more than useful tailend batsman with a penchant for attack, Kumble has come to the rescue of the side frequently with some timely knocks
Test Debut: India v England at Manchester, 2nd Test, 1990
ODI Debut: India v Sri Lanka at Sharjah, Australasia Cup, 1989/90